Leaders from Minneapolis Area Realtors®, including members of the Board of Directors and Government Affairs Committee, joined members from the state association in Minnesota Housing Day 2022.

Hundreds of Realtors® descended on St. Paul in early March to voice our concerns about the current state of housing in both urban and rural areas across Minnesota. After two years of disruptions due to the ongoing pandemic, we were able to hold an in-person event this year.  Attendants heard from industry leaders who provided an overview of the current political dynamics at play in Minnesota’s capitol. This was followed by our keynote event, a legislative panel filled by State Senators Rich Draheim and Kari Dziedzic as well as State Representatives Jim Nash and Steve Elkins, elected officials leading the housing policy debate at the state legislature.

Our panel discussed issues such as housing affordability, support for first-time homebuyers, closing the racial homeownership gap, finding compromise through a shared concern for Minnesota’s housing shortage, and many more. You can watch the recording of the event here.

Housing Day 2022 finished with a brief synopsis of bills currently under consideration at the state legislature. Government Affairs staff from the Minnesota Realtors® walked us through the following slate:

Bills Supported:

• HF 3256/SF 3259 – is a package of legislative updates which attempt to lift unnecessary roadblocks, strengthen our housing market, and make Minnesota more competitive in the region.
• Increase access to homeownership and reduce the racial homeownership gap by creating a first-generation Down Payment Assistance Fund (bill to be introduced).

Bills Opposed:

• HF527/SF277 – would allow municipalities to add thousands to the cost of new homes through impact fees.
• HF 112/SF 1282 – would implement an “opportunity to purchase” regulation for manufacture home parks.
• HF 3014/SF 2744 – would require disclosures regarding gas fireplaces.
• HF 2880/SF 3147 – would enact an excise tax on the sale of a residential property when the buyer is a corporate entity.

We encourage all MAR members to get in contact with to your state elected officials about what matters to you and your business. The policies proposed at the Capitol have real impacts, and it’s critical that Realtor® voices are heard!